Recently, I was scrolling through Twitter when I came across a poignant post that stirred my soul. It was lamenting about the growing number of beggars appearing at our airports and threading through every corner of our streets. This post prompted thousands of comments beneath it - each revealing a spectrum of human sentiment. Some bluntly urged a retort of "Beg them back", while others counseled a colder dismissal: " snub them".
Reflecting on these harsh comments, the words of Christ popped up - " Whatsoever you do to the least of my brethren, you do that unto me". Who are these least of the brethren? Aren't they these beggars these netizens are suggesting that we ignore? Yes, their arguments against them may seem plausible - that for certain beggars, their craft is a trade , their poverty a guise. But how do we differentiate the rogues from the real beggars?
Abraham in his charitable reception of strangers , coincidentally received angels who brought about blessings to him. Who knows how many of such strangers he had received? The angels were certainly not the only ones he ever received!
So, how should we respond? Our charity should spring out from the boundless love of Christ; we should give for Christ's sake and not even the "supposed" beggars. Christ surrendered himself to us without consideration of our worthiness. In this Lenten season, we are urged to embrace this selfless generousity. In giving without hesitation, we uplift not just the person before us, but the One who calls them his own.
At Veronica Onyeneke Foundation, our mission is to propagate the sacrificial nature of charity. Join us in extending a hand—not out of obligation, but out of love
